Mobile refueling vessel

Abstract

A mobile vessel for refueling an engine or tank of a vehicle at a remote refueling site. A refueling station is mounted to the mobile vessel and includes a movable platform mounted to a generally horizontal deck. The platform is movable between a deployed position and a stowed position. In the deployed position the platform extends away from the deck to provide a floor for the worker to stand on to connect the fuel dispenser to the engine or tank. In the stowed position the movable platform is folded from the deployed position towards the generally horizontal deck.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile fuel containment vessel for deployment at a remote worksite and configured to transport liquid fuel to the remote worksite, store the liquid fuel at the remote worksite and to enable a user of the mobile fuel containment vessel to dispense the liquid fuel at the remote worksite, the mobile fuel containment vessel comprising:
 a trailer comprising a chassis having at least one wheeled axle mounted to the chassis near a rear end of the chassis, and a vertical wall extending upward from the chassis;   a fuel storage tank supported by the chassis, wherein the fuel storage tank comprises an access opening located at an upper side of the fuel storage tank through which the liquid fuel stored within the fuel storage tank can be withdrawn;   a fuel dispenser in fluid communication with the fuel storage tank and configured to withdraw liquid fuel from the fuel storage tank, the fuel dispenser comprising a pivotal refueling boom configured to convey the liquid fuel withdrawn from the fuel storage tank to another fuel tank when dispensing the liquid fuel from the fuel storage tank;   a refueling workstation attached to the trailer, the refueling workstation configured to provide the user of the mobile fuel containment vessel with access to the refueling boom, the refueling workstation comprising:
 a first deck attached to the vertical wall of the trailer, the first deck located at a first vertical height higher than the at least one wheeled axle and lower than the upper side of the fuel storage tank, the first deck configured to support the user of the mobile fuel containment vessel while accessing the fuel dispenser; 
 a second deck pivotable relative to the first deck between a first deployed position and a first stowed position, wherein in the first deployed position the second deck is configured to support the user of the mobile fuel containment vessel while accessing the fuel dispenser, wherein in the first stowed position the second deck is raised relative to the first deployed position such that a distal end of the second deck is in a vertical plane above the first deck; 
 a first ladder extending downward from the first deck; and 
 a second ladder including a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the second ladder is pivotable about the first end between a second deployed position and a second stowed position, wherein in the second deployed position the second end is below the first end, wherein in the second stowed position the second end is above the first end and at a vertical height above a bottom end of the first ladder. 
   
     
     
         2 . The mobile fuel containment vessel of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first guard rail located about at least a portion of a perimeter of the first deck; and   a second guard rail located about at least a portion of a perimeter of the second deck.   
     
     
         3 . The mobile fuel containment vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the first ladder is fixed. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile fuel containment vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the first ladder extends at an acute angle relative to a vertical axis. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile fuel containment vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the first ladder extends downward from the first deck in a direction perpendicular to a length of the chassis. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile fuel containment vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile fuel containment vessel is movable between a raised transport configuration in which the mobile fuel containment vessel is spaced apart from a ground surface and a lowered refueling configuration in which the mobile fuel containment vessel rests directly on the ground surface;
 wherein in the raised transport configuration the second deck is in the first stowed position and the second ladder is in the second stowed position; and   wherein in the lowered refueling configuration the second deck is in the first deployed position and the second ladder is in the second deployed position.   
     
     
         7 . The mobile fuel containment vessel of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of fuel storage tanks; and
 wherein the fuel storage tank is a first one of the plurality of fuel storage tanks.   
     
     
         8 . The mobile fuel containment vessel of  claim 7 , further comprising a side fuel dispenser for a second one of the plurality of fuel storage tanks, the side fuel dispenser accessible by the user while standing on a ground surface and without a need to access the refueling workstation. 
     
     
         9 . A mobile refueling vessel comprising:
 a chassis;   at least one axle mounted to the chassis;   tires mounted to the at least one axle and configured to support the chassis over a ground surface;   a fuel tank mounted to the chassis;   a refueling boom in fluid communication with the fuel tank, the refueling boom including a proximal end and a distal end that is opposite to the proximal end;   a refueling station at a rear of the mobile refueling platform, the refueling station including:
 a stationary deck elevated over the ground surface and arranged lower than the refueling boom; 
 a platform mounted to the stationary deck, the platform is pivotable between a deployed platform position and a stowed platform position, in the deployed platform position the platform extends away from, and is generally parallel to, the stationary deck, in the stowed platform position the platform is raised relative to the deployed platform position; 
 an upper stair extending from the stationary deck; and 
 a lower stair pivotable between a deployed stair position and a stowed stair position, in the deployed stair position the lower stair extends downward towards the ground surface that the mobile refueling vessel is on, in the stowed stair position the lower stair is raised relative to the deployed stair position. 
   
     
     
         10 . The mobile refueling vessel of  claim 9 , wherein the fuel tank includes a port at a top of the fuel tank, the refueling boom is in fluid communication with the port; and
 wherein the stationary deck is horizontal.   
     
     
         11 . The mobile refueling vessel of  claim 9 , wherein the platform is pivotable about an axis extending parallel to an edge of the stationary deck. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile refueling vessel of  claim 9 , wherein the upper stair extends from the stationary deck in a direction perpendicular to a length of the fuel tank. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile refueling vessel of  claim 9 , wherein the platform, the stationary deck, and the upper stair each include a guardrail. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile refueling vessel of  claim 9 , wherein the refueling station is connected to a rear of the fuel tank. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile refueling vessel of  claim 9 , wherein the mobile refueling vessel has a raised transport configuration in which the mobile refueling vessel is spaced apart from the ground surface and a lowered refueling configuration in which the mobile refueling vessel is seated on the ground surface;
 wherein in the raised transport configuration the platform is in the stowed platform position and the lower stair is in the stowed stair position; and   wherein in the lowered refueling configuration the platform is in the deployed platform position and the lower stair is in the deployed stair position.   
     
     
         16 . The mobile refueling vessel of  claim 15 , further comprising a suspension configured to raise the fuel tank and the chassis to the raised transport configuration and lower the fuel tank and the chassis to the lowered refueling configuration. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile refueling vessel of  claim 9 , wherein the fuel tank includes multiple, independent sub-fuel tanks. 
     
     
         18 . The mobile refueling vessel of  claim 9 , wherein the fuel tank is rectangular; and
 wherein the fuel tank includes a central tank section, a front gooseneck tank section, and a rear gooseneck tank section, each of which are independent and configured to store different types of fuel.   
     
     
         19 . The mobile refueling vessel of  claim 9 , wherein the mobile refueling vessel includes a coupling device configured for connection to a mating coupling device on a tractor or truck for towing the mobile refueling vessel. 
     
     
         20 . The mobile refueling vessel of  claim 9 , further comprising at least one side fuel dispenser. 
     
     
         21 . The mobile refueling vessel of  claim 9 , wherein the fuel tank includes a sidewall with two layers. 
     
     
         22 . A mobile refueling vessel configured to be transported from a first location to a second location including a refueling site, the mobile refueling vessel comprising:
 a semi-trailer extending along a longitudinal axis and having a front end and a rear end, the semi-trailer comprising a wheeled chassis including at least one axle mounted near the rear end, a plurality of wheels mounted to the at least one axle, and a trailer hitch configured to removably couple the mobile refueling vessel to a tractor unit;   a fuel tank mounted to the wheeled chassis;   a port at a top of the fuel tank;   a refueling boom connected to the port, the refueling boom including a proximal end and a distal end that is opposite to the proximal end;   a refueling station at the rear end or the front end of the semi-trailer, the refueling station including:
 a deck at a higher elevation than the wheeled chassis and at a lower elevation than both the refueling boom and the port, the deck is stationary and horizontal; 
 a pivotable platform mounted to the deck, the pivotable platform includes a guardrail and is pivotable about an axis extending parallel to an edge of the deck between a deployed platform position and a stowed platform position, wherein in the deployed platform position the pivotable platform extends away from, and is generally parallel to, the deck, wherein in the stowed platform position the pivotable platform is raised relative to the deployed position; 
 an upper stair extending from the deck in a direction perpendicular to a length of the mobile refueling vessel; and 
 a lower stair arranged lower than the upper stair and pivotable between a deployed stair position and a stowed stair position, in the deployed stair position the lower stair extends downward towards a ground surface that the mobile refueling vessel is on, in the stowed stair position the lower stair is raised relative to the deployed stair position. 
   
     
     
         23 . The mobile refueling vessel of  claim 22 , further comprising a suspension configured to move the mobile refueling vessel between a raised transport configuration in which the mobile refueling vessel is spaced apart from the ground surface and a lowered refueling configuration in which the mobile refueling vessel rests on the ground surface at a refueling site;
 wherein in the raised transport configuration the pivotable platform is in the stowed platform position and the lower stair is in the stowed stair position; and   wherein in the lowered refueling configuration the pivotable platform is in the deployed platform position and the lower stair is in the deployed stair position.   
     
     
         24 . The mobile refueling vessel of  claim 22 , further comprising at least one side fuel dispenser.